Detachable pipe-coupling



(No Model.)

G. H. GRIFFIN.

DETAGHABLE PIPE COUPLING.

No. 391,314. Patented Oct. 16, 1888.

N4 PETERS. PhowLimngnphar. wamngwn. D. c.

ATENT Prion.

GEORGE II. GRIFFIN, OF ABINGDON, VIRGINIA.

DETACHABLE PIPE-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 391,314, dated October 16, 1888.

Serial No. 267,941. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, GEORGE H. GRIFFIN, of Abingdon, in the county of Washington and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Detachable Pipe- Couplings 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in pipe-couplings, and more especially to detachable hose-conplings adapted for use in connection with air-brakes, car-heating apparatus, fire-engines, &c.

The object of my invention is to provide a detachable hosecoupling which shall be far simpler and more durable than the couplings of this class heretofore in use, and the members of which shall be interchangeable and easily and readily coupled and uncoupled.

VvTith these ends in view my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts,more fully described hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a side elevation of the two similar and corresponding half-coupling members or heads coupled together, dotted lines showing the position of the couplingheads before being locked or clamped together. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the inner face of a halfcoupling member. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section of the two similar coupling-heads locked together. Fig. 4t is a horizontal section on the lines x x of Fig. l, when the coupling is completed; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion ofthe coupling, illustrating the form of the rigid latches, and showing them in position just before the halfmembers are finally locked together.

The coupling consists of a pair of similar interchangeable coupling-heads or half-coupling members, A A', and each similar couplinghead is preferably composed of a short pipesection, B, adapted to be tightly secured to one end of a section of the hose or pipe to be joined, and is provided at its opposite end with a hollow head, O, into the edge of which the pipe-section enters, so that the head forms a continuous extension of the pipe, and the outer side of said head is preferably rounded, as shown, while its inner face is dat, and is provided with a central port or aperture, a, opening into the interior of the hollow head. The fiat inner face of the coupling-head is provided with an annular packing-ring or gasket, b, to make an air-tight joint when the coupling is effected.

A projecting hook-shaped lug or latch, D, extends forwardly from the front edge of the coupling-head, preferably with its inner side in the same plane with the inner edge of the head, and the laterally-extending portion d of the hook-shaped latch extends downwardly, as shown. Asimilarprojecting hook-shaped lng or latch, D', extends laterally from the rear edge of the coupling head at right angles to the plane of the forwardly-extending latch D, and with its hook or laterally-extending portion d extending upwardly.

From the upper side of the coupling-head an arm or extension, E, extends upwardly a suitable distance, and is provided at its upper,

end with an enlarged portion having an oblong socket or chamber, c, closed at the outer side, but open at the inner side, and in said socket a spring-actuated clutch or latch, F, is horizontally pivoted, so that its locking or engaging end will be constantly forced outward by the action of a spring, f, interposed between the rear wall of the socket and the outer or engaging end of the latch, which end is provided with a shoulder, f, for the purpose hereinafter to appear. The opposite or inner free end of the pivoted latch is provided with aknob or thu nib-piece, G, which extends through the rear wall of the socket, as shown. rIhus it will be observed that when the knob is pressed inwardly the opposite or engaging end of the latch will be withdrawn into the socket.

The ends of the two sections of hose or pipe to be joined are each provided with a halfcoupling member, as hereinbefore described, and when it is desired to detachably secure the sections together and form an air and steam tight `joint the dat inner faces of the two coupling members are pressed together, with each pipe-sectionB of the members extending downwardly, and the rigid and spring latches out of IOO engagement, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The pipe-sections B are then thrown-upwardly, which operation turns the hollow heads, throws the forwardly and downwardly extending hook-shaped rigid latch of each member into engagement with the rear laterally and upwardly extending hook shaped latch of the opposite member, thus firmly holding the coupling members against direct lateral separation, and with the ports in the inner faces of the members registering. The same operation forces the upwardly-exten ding arms E into a position parallel with each other and with their inner faces engaging, and as the open sides of the socket e register the shoulders of the spring-latches engage and are held in engagementby the springs, thus preventing the separation of the members by turning the hollow heads in one direction, while the rigid latches prevent separation by turning in the opposite direction. To uncouple the coupling members, the operator has simply topress in the thumb-heads G, which throws the springlatches out of engagement, and then to turn the hollow heads so as to throw the pipe-sections B downwardly, which throws the rigid latchesout of engagement.

The lugs or latches Dare preferably formed in the shape of upwardly-extending hooks, as more rigidity, firmness, and strength in the coupling are thereby attained than heretofore; but it is obvious that said part D' can be merely a straight lug projecting laterally from the inner or plane' face of the member and at right angles to the same.

In manufacturing the half-coupling members the hollow heads, the pipe portions or sections, the upwardly-extending arms, and the rigid latches are all cast or otherwise formed together and in one piece, thus making the device extremely cheap and durable, and as both coupling members ofthe coupling are exactly similar in every respect they are interchangeable, as the half members of each coupling do not have to be matched, as has generally been the case heretofore.

Heretofore the hollow heads of detachable pipe-couplings have generally been directly secured to the ends of the tlexible hose or pipe sections to be detachabl y joined, the ends of said iiexible hose being stiffened by coiled wire or other means; but such connections possess .various disadvantages, as such stiffening devices are usually of -insufcient strength to support the hollow heads with the required amount of rigidity; but by casting the short metallic pipe-section B integral with the hollow head and securing the tlexible hose to the outer end of said pipe-section I obviate the disadvantages heretofore existing and obtain the required amount of rigidity.

It is evident that various slight changes might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the various parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention; hence I do not wish to limit myself strictly'to the precise construction herein set forth, but consider myself entitled to all such slight changes as fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. The herein-described half-coupling member comprising a pipe-section, a hollow coupling-head upon one end of the same provided with an inner junction-head having a port, a hook-shaped lug extending forwardly from the front edge of the head, a similar lug extending laterally from the inner edge of the head, the hook of the forward lug extending in an opposite direction from the hook of the rear lug, an arm extending upwardly from said head and provided with a socket in its inner face, and a spring-actuated locking-latch having a retaining-shoulder and located in said socket.

2. The herein-described hollow half-coupling head provided with an inner junctionface having a port, lugs or latches rigidly secured to or cast with said head, and a clutch or latch provided with a retaining-shoulder, said clutch being pivoted to the head within its length to allow the retaining-shoulder a lateral movement.

3. The herein -described detachable pipecoupling, consisting of a pair of similar half'- coupling members, each composed of a hollow head having an inner face provided with a port, lugs or latches rigidly secured to or cast with said head and adapted to engagethe corresponding rigid lugs or latches of the opposite member, and a pivoted spring-latch provided with a shoulder and adapted to engage the similar latch of the other member and hold the members detachably coupled together, substantially as described.

4. The hereindescribed detachable pipecoupling, consisting of a pair of similar halfcoupling members, each member being composed of a hollow head having an inner face provided with a port and packing, lugs or latches rigidly secured to the front and rear edges of the hollow head and adapted to engage the lugs or latches of the opposite half member, an arm extending upwardly from the hollow head and provided with a socket, and a spring-latch pivoted in said socket provided with ashoulder, substantially as described. v

5. The hereindescribed detachable pipecoupling, consisting of the two similar halfcoupling members, each composed of a rigid pipe section or portion, a hollow head secured to one end of the same, and having a dat inner face provided with a central port and packing, a hook-shaped latch extending forwardly from the front edge of the head, a hook-shaped latch extending laterally from the rear edge of the head, an arm extending upwardly from the head and provided with a IIO socket closed at its rear and open at its inner y own I affix my signature in presence of two face, a spring-latch pivoted in said socket and witnesses.

provided With a shoulder at one end and a f knob or thumb-head on the opposite end ex- GEORGE H GRIFFIN 5 tending through the rear Wall of the socket, W'itnesses:

substantially as described. G. M. WERLE,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my l E. C. DUFFY. 

